l’ll Lift Ban On Okada Riding If Elected Lagos Governor  — Candidate

 As battle for the soul of Lagos State hots up, Mr Tope Balogun, Lagos State Governorship flag bearer of the Action Alliance (AA), has promised to lift the ban on commercial motorcycle operation in Lagos State if elected governor.

The 40-year-old Balogun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he would also lift the ban on transport unionism if voted into power on Saturday.

The computer scientist said that he would deploy technology to regulate the activities of commercial motorcycle operators and transport unions as well as enforce relevant laws to make them orderly and more productive.

According to him, high unemployment rate and economic hardship will necessitate the lifting of the ban.

“In a mega city, every form of transportation must be working simultaneously.

“The government did this because of some people’s clandestine activities with Okada, but the government is putting untoward hardship on people that are legitimately using the mode of transportation to make money.

“This has ripple effects on so many families.

“We must fight security issues with security measures not banning people’s means of livelihood. We are supposed to deploy technology on motorbikes to detect criminals,” he said.

According to him, the state can also create routes for motorcycles and bicycles to reduce accidents.

“A mega city must have mega plans that will take care of everybody.

“We want our transportation system to be well developed. We are not going to ban the use of any transportation system.

“Even bicycles should be allowed. We are not using our waterways much,” Balogun said.

He said that his team had sent a person to Venice, Italy, where water transportation was being used optimally, to gain knowledge.

He promised to invest heavily in waterways, if elected.

“In Venice, for the past 21 years, no life has been lost to water mishap; these are things we can invest in to remove much traffic from our roads,” he said.

On the ban on transport unions and setting up of Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Balogun said: “If I come into government, I will restore transport unions.

“How do we explain the ban on NURTW (National Union of Road Transport Workers) and RTEAN (Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria) while the state’s park management committee is doing the same things that the transport unions are doing?

“What we have now is changing the bottle but the wine remains the same.

“I will lift this ban on transport unions. We will rather make the transport unions own up to their corporate social responsibility,” he said.

He expressed the hope that, with his REBIRTH agenda, many citizens who relocated abroad, would return home.